P plate Ready Indicator
You can arrange to have a P plate ready assessment with a
keys2drive accredited
driving instructor.
If want to have a go at an assessment together with your
parent/supervisor, follow the guide below:
Plan the route
First, plan a structured drive based on a pretend scenario that
you might face on your P’s – something that feels more real than
driving around aimlessly. Try to combine a range of different
driving challenges to deal with along the way.
Here are some suggestions:
- Go to the cinema, stop by an ATM on the way and then park
nearby.
- Drive to pick up a friend and take them to sports practice.
Once at your friend's house remember the friend actually wanted to
be picked up from work. Go to the place of work, park nearby and
then go to the sports practice.
- Drive to a cafe, make sure you stop to pick up some shopping on
the way. Drive home a different way.
- Take some relatives for a drive, pick them up at their home,
take them to a special place then drop them off somewhere
different. Return to pick them up and drop them home.
Predict your performance
Use this chart to predict how you’ll perform. Ask your
parent/supervisor or driving instructor to make predictions
too.
|
Experience |
Learner Driver |
Parent/supervisor or
Instructor |
|
Control the car smoothly
Comply with road rules
Display good driving habits (even when distracted)
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
|
Remain calm in different situations
Remain calm in complex situations
Remain calm in spontaneous situations
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
|
I am committed to zero harm target
Act as my own supervisor
Act as my own instructor
Act as my own assessor
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
Assess solo driving performance
Go for your planned drive with your parent/supervisor or driving
instructor and ask them to assess your progress using the checklist
in Table One. Table Two will assess how well you identify mistakes
and reflect on what you could have done
differently.
Ask your parent/supervisor for an honest rating on your
performance, and record your results.
Aim to drive mostly without help when you do the assessment -
make it as similar as possible to real P plate driving.
TABLE ONE
|
Primary Task |
Secondary Task |
Checklist |
Rating |
|
Drive for about five minutes towards a planned destination
|
Adjust radio or CD
Dip mirror for night driving
Move sun visor to shade the driver's side
Adjust air conditioning in
vehicle
Clean the windscreen |
Speed is steady
Steering is steady
Combined actions are fluent
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
|
Change lanes, or drive ahead or right at a multi lane
roundabout, or
zipper or highway merge, or come to a left lane that ends
|
Talk to passengers
Hear a mobile phone ring (prearranged)
Say random numbers between 1 & 21
|
Checks mirrors before indicating or braking
Indicates for longer than two seconds before steering or
braking
Head checks before steering
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
|
Change of destination, move from the wrong to the right lane of
traffic, get back on track, then enter a street on the right by
first turning left, then find the tenth building on the opposite
side of the street and park outside it
|
Describe events in the distance that could affect your
safety
Judge another vehicle’s CAS*
Judge your vehicle's CAS*
Slow to a (given) speed without looking at speedometer
|
Driver appears calm and acts quickly when:
Facing an unfamiliar situation
The route, destination or task is changed
Traffic situations become more complex
|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
|
* CAS means Crash Avoidance Space. In good
conditions, this is equivalent to a minimum of three seconds
travel space between you and any other car.
TABLE TWO
|
Reflection |
Task |
Checklist |
Rating |
| Throughout the
drive |
Comment briefly on
your mistakes as you make them |
Seems aware of
mistakes made |
1 2 3 4 5
|
| At the end of the drive |
Talk about the mistakes you made in more
depth |
Describes ways to fix the mistakes and
explains the role that they played in the incidents |
1 2 3 4 5
|
Use the results
First, compare your predicted ratings with your
parent/supervisor's assessment. This will help tell you if you have
a realistic sense of where you’re at.
Do they match? If there's a discrepancy, consider why there is a
difference. Are there certain areas that need more attention than
you thought? Focus on improving these areas and consider taking the
assessment again.
Your score
If you rated low (1, 2 or 3) for any skill,
your parent/supervisor or driving instructor obviously feels you
need to improve it. Have a good think about why these tasks are
important to safe driving. Trouble with any of these tasks might
suggest that you need to do some more work before transitioning to
solo driving.
If you rated highly (4's and 5's) for
everything, well done. This doesn’t necessarily mean
you’re ready for solo driving - that is still something you and
your parent/supervisor need to discuss and think carefully
about.
Be really honest with yourself: Was it an
unusual performance? Are you and your parent/supervisor being tough
enough judges? Are you truly ready? The P plate ready indicator is
an exercise in getting you both thinking hard about this crucial
question.
Download the P Plate
Ready Indicator (PDF 207kb)
